1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to connectors and couplers for providing voice and data communications and, more particularly, to adapters for providing means for accommodating couplers and jacks developed by various manufactures, to standard plate openings, and including USB and similar connection assemblies.
2. Background Art
Efficient organization of various types of devices requiring electrical power or data communications within an office, commercial, industrial or residential environment has been a historical problem. Such devices often include lamps, typewriters and the like. More recently, this problem has been exacerbated by the proliferation of additional devices for communications, such as complex telephone stations, computers, video displays and the like. One problem associated with the efficient organization in the use of such devices relates to the abundance of wiring arrays and the positioning of the energy requiring devices within the environment, particularly in office environments.
One relatively substantial advance in the art relating to the mounting of electrical receptacles for work surfaces and the like is shown in the commonly owned Byrne, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,788 issued May 31, 1988. In the Byrne patent, a retractable power center includes a rectangular housing formed in the work surface, with a clamping arrangement to secure the housing to the work surface. A lower extrusion is connected to a lower portion of the housing, and a manually moveable power carriage mounts the receptacles. In response to manual application of upward forces on the power carriage, the carriage may be raised upward into an extended, open position. Small bosses extending from the sides of the carriage, and resting on the top portion of the housing, support the carriage in the extended, open position. In the open position, the user can energize desired electrical devices from the receptacles and then lower the carriage into a releaseably secured, retractable position.
A stationary device having electrical services outlets is shown in commonly owned Byrne, U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,426 issued Mar. 28, 2000. Therein, a multi-user services module includes a housing portion with a hemispherical configuration. The housing portion is integrally molded to a depending cylindrical housing portion. The cylindrical housing portion is fitted into an opening in a conference table or the like. Power receptacles and data receptacles are molded and installed in the hemispherical housing portion.
As earlier mentioned, the proliferation of communications and computer equipment has lead to a substantial amount of use of communications interconnection assemblies. For voice and data communications, the interconnection assemblies are typically referred to as comprising a RS-232 communications coupler and communications jack. For purposes of description, these elements are typically collectively referred to as “coupler/jacks.”
In the industry, voice/data coupler/jacks are designed and sold by various manufacturers. These manufacturers include, for example, AT&T (or Lucent Technologies), Panduit, Krone and Ortronics. One problem which exists with respect to the various types of couplers and jacks is that their overall size is not standardized. Accordingly, even if wall or floor plates are utilized which have a standardized opening size, the couplers and jacks of the various manufactures are not standardized in size. Still further, elements associated with wall plates, couplers and jacks and the like are relatively small and sometimes difficult to properly maintain in inventory.
Another substantial advance in the art relating to the use of connectors and couplers for providing voice and data communications is disclosed in the commonly owned Byrne, U.S. Pat. No. 7,182,633 issued Feb. 27, 2007. This Byrne patent is described as prior art in subsequent paragraphs herein, with respect to FIGS. 1-4.